They had no chicken ready, and where trying to serve raw chicken, don't recommend coming YOU WILL GET SICK

Now... there's a lot of Peruvian chicken places in the MD Burbs... We're actually sort of known for it. Whenever I do food trivia, I'm always like- name 5 Peruvian Chicken places in the MD Burbs. There is approximately 100. I think that Don Pollo ranks near the top of the heap. Now, DISCLAIMER. Don Pollo Veirs Mill: A+ Don Pollo Bethesda: C Don Pollo Gaithersburg ( new): A++ I got chicken and sides at this Don Pollo that I can guarantee you are at the top of the Peruvian Chicken Hierarchy of Restaurants. Let's be honest with ourselves. They are all very different, and if you can't see the sometimes subtle nuisances of chicken, please schedule a Peruvian Chicken Tasting with me, and I'll show you the ropes. I just looked up where that idiom comes from ( apparently it refers to Old timey Operas where all of the curtains and what not backstage were controlled by Ropes). *TheMoreYouKnow So, back to the chicken. To quote the great and wise Mike B. " It's almost as if they have taken the chicken skin off the chicken, fried it, and then delicately sewn it back on to the most tender meat that'll ever caress your palate." Yes, that is from my review of the Don Pollo in Rockville. The Don Pollo in Gaithersburg, lives up to this high and impeccable standard. Chicken skin was crispy and flavorful. Meat was fall off the bone tender. The sides were both fresh and well cooked. Rice could easily be separated with gentle coaxing. Black beans were flavorful and rich, and coleslaw ( well it was a LITTLE saucy for my taste), but a lot of people love that. I will pay 70 cents for 2 additional sauces, and find at this new place that the small 2 ounce cups have been swapped for what seem to be 3.5 ounce miniature bowls (monkey dishes) for the additional sauces. #Score1ForTheGoodGuys Green Sauce- perfect ( I should have gotten another one of these) Pink Sauce- yes it's pink here- this is equivalent to the yellow sauce at C & J. Pink sauce is gentle in it's spiciness but carries good flavor and melds dishes as well as jazz melds the mood for relaxation. Service is quick, if albeit a little bit cold. Drink fridges are stocked and full of variety. Menu is a little more diverse than the one in Rockville. Unless they changed the one over there too. I might have to go try this salad with Kale and Chicken. Steven J. Karr, AIA Inc.was the architect for the restaurant and it turned out to be quite a masterpiece. Modern, comfortable, spacious, and airy. I mean... great job firm! You might be asking yourself... how in the heck does Mike B. know the architect?! We're friends on Facebook! #Besties All in all a great experience. Can't wait to go back! read more

Don Pollo - 1/4 white with 2 sides - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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This has to be the best Peruvian chicken I've eaten. I ordered the 1/2 chicken, and both the dark and white meat was so tender it practically fell off the bone. The skin wasn't that crispy, but I really didn't care as I was so busy shoveling the meat into my mouth. It was seasoned great and I couldn't stop eating it. But after I was done, my belly was really full. I couldn't finish my two side dishes. I really liked the two sauces. The green one had a nice kick to it while the peach looking one was pretty good. During lunch time, the lines can get long and you might have to wait for a table, so get there early or after 1 PM. I can't wait to go back next week! read more

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Went out to lunch with some colleagues. I love Peruvian chicken! For some reason I decided to order their chicken salad - which has chunks of grilled chicken in the salad. The chicken was excellent! The problem was - the rest of the salad was rather ho-hum! Not many other vegetables - and A LOT of lettuce, some avocado... Next time I will just order succulent Peruvian chicken! I've learned my lesson about their salads! Service was excellent! read more

Don Pollo - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Love my Peruvian chicken!! Love the sauces and love the sides (Cole slaw and yuca) They forgot my Cole slaw But i just called and they immediately let me know I could come in whenever to pick it up. It was very nice and glad they were able to make such a quick service recovery. This place is always hot and fresh. Awesome chicken. Not much else to say but everyone should try it!! Ooo one thing I didn't prefer was the potato salad, a little bland read more

Don Pollo - Chicken, rice and beans, pico, potato salad, yuca - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Worst lunch ever!!!!! Literally slop in a bowl and just overall sucked. Never again. Shit was $10 read more

Don Pollo - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

The chicken Is So Amazingggg Omg And the GreenBeans are cooked perfectly With a Crisp. read more

The BEST Peruvian chicken in the area. I always order ahead of time to pick up and they are very quick. The chicken is juicy and flavorful, the sauce is delicious too! read more

Yes, please! This place is conveniently located 5 minutes from my job and makes a delicious lunch. They had so many options. I went with the quarter chicken, mac n cheese and yucca. The mac n cheese was amazing! I feel like yucca may be a required taste. I like it but I know a ton of people who rather opt for fries. The chicken was so juicy and well flavored. I literally ate here 3 days in a row. Yassss. read more

Fantastic - the chicken is incredibly moist and well seasoned and the flan was delightful. Half chicken with mac & cheese and coleslaw: the chicken here is top notch. If you've ever been to NYC and had chirpin chicken, it's at that level of quality. The breast remains moist, the dark meat is succulent, the skin is nicely charred from the grill, and the cuban spices are fragrant. This chicken is easily 5 times better than supermarket rotisserie chicken. The mac and cheese is nothing special but the coleslaw is really excellent. Very fresh and crunch, low on the mayo. Fantastic side. The sauces are interesting - I didn't really use the pinkish mayo-based sauce as the chicken was so delicious and moist but the green hot sauce is great. Spicy and refreshing. The flan is some of the best I've ever had. Dense but not rich. The texture is smooth and substantial. The cream and caramel flavors are very strong. It's a very strong custard with a pleasingly thick texture. Not too sweet and the depth of caramel flavor keeps you coming back for more. It's a good size portion too. read more

Don Pollo - Half chicken, Mac, coleslaw - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Food is great but you all are so chintzy ok giving out the sauces. The Sauce is so cheap to make. It such a shame you can't be more generous with the sauces and the size after people spend good money there for food. read more

I'm sorry, I'm still a picca chicken fan! Pro's -customer friendly -seat yourself -order at the cashier, take a number, and food appears! -food comes out hot and quick -kid friendly! -lots of TVs and upbeat music Con's -chicken wasn't as juicy -green sauce was a little spicy but more watery and the other sauce was very mayo and creamy.. Not much flavor -cucumber salad had so much potential! Need a bit more flavor and less water It was a good, quick dinner for the family and I. Didn't really hit too many taste buds for me. Sorry, will stick with picca! read more

I've been on a Peruvian chicken binge lately and came to Don Pollo after the gym one evening. They are located near the Shady Grove Shopping Center off of Gaither Road. A deserving 5 stars for the food and Edin was very attentive and checked up on us a few times. I ordered 1/4 white chicken with a side of rice and beans and yucca. Don't judge me with doubling up on the carbs but I was feeling reckless! The chicken was tender and juicy on the inside and perfectly charred on the outside. We also tried their flan for dessert and it was delicious. I originally wanted the tres leches cake but they were sold out. The price was right for the huge portions! Plenty of seating inside and the booths were massive enough to fit 4 people on both sides. Water jugs were available on the counter which was convenient. I'm happy to know they are around the corner from work so I'll definitely be coming for lunch next time! read more

Don Pollo - 1/4 chicken with rice and beans and yucca. - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Tasty Peruvian roasted chicken, wide array of delicious sides. I've been here many times, and usually get the 1/4 white meat with two sides. The chicken is always delicious and well-seasoned, with nicely crispy skin. Sometimes it's juicy, other times just a bit dry, but to me that's an acceptable trade-off for serving up roasted chicken 2 minutes after it's ordered instead of 45. Some of the sides are so good I'd almost come here just for those. The green beans are a must: perfectly cooked every time, crisp and garlicky. The mashed potatoes (also garlicky!), rice & beans and plantains are also very good. Service has always been friendly and fast. As others note, the food often arrives a mere minute or two after you're seated. It's a clean, casual place with comfortable booths and outdoor seating for when the weather's nice. The 1/4 white or 1/4 dark meat meals run about $10, and are plenty filling for me, but if you've got a bigger appetite or are value-conscious, a mere $2 more bumps things up to a half chicken. read more

Don Pollo - 1/4 white meat with green beans, plantains and tasty dipping sauces - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

The chicken was very good and the plantains were authentic. My favorite dish was the chaufa rice. It was a great find.

I don't understand why this place is not more crowded as the food is good. Perhaps it is a Tuesday in August and people are on vacation. The chicken is slow roasted with wonderful spices. I like the roasted vegetables and black beans as a a side. Try this place, you won't be disappointed. read more

Extremely disappointing experience! After ordering a $70 meal I get home to see two parts of my order were missing. I call back to speak with the manager and she says she has to check the cameras to see if i was actually given the order?! Why would I waste my time? This is food I paid for! Check cameras for two orders of fries?!! What turned into a 20 min back and forth argument should have been a simple apology and refund. I felt interrogated and disrespected. Extremely disappointed because in this case as the customer I was not given the benefit of the doubt. Poor customer service. read more

Seriously would u be excited after picking this up on 7.16. Yuca n fries hard as a rock. Looked like some left over for the previous day. Chicken was so dry not exciting at all. Food was cold, i have been buying lunch here everytime am on that end. The yuca was delicious n tasty. This experience was horrible... dont think i will be back... read more

Don Pollo - Chicken with 2 Sides - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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She did not ask me to leave, but she did said to go to the patio, then she went to the kitchen and began to laugh on the back with the other employees, also not the first time on your restaurant and the other manager did understand, I have to said that one of your employees did explain to her that my dog is a dog service and that was not the first time that we been there and he did apologize for the inconvenience, I totally agree that you have to defend your employees, but also train them so things like this don't happen again read more

This used to be my go-to takeout meal. Unfortunately, they have discontinued many of my favorite items: green beans, ceviche, and shrimp chaufa. Their charges for extra sauce are baffling. Only place I know where the per unit price goes UP the more units you order. Clearly, they are struggling, as a sign in the window indicated they have discontinued a courtesy discount for neighboring merchants. As an aside, people either should either wear masks properly or not at all. All three employees with masks were using them as chin/neck warmers. read more

So I've been here multiple times since my last review. After all there are only so many places you can eat around here. The chicken is chicken, hard to mess up. Today however, I ventured into trying the Pollo Saltado. As a given I never get Lomo Saltado at these fast casual places. Restaurants only unless you want sub par cuts of meat (word to the wise). So onto the Pollo Saltado... it was completely edible however the chicken was odd looking. Almost thought I got beef but it's not so it has to be chicken, right? At least I hope so. And the portion, oh the portion... it's on the small side. For the 12 to $13 it cost, I don't consider it worth my money. The most I'd pay for this is 9.....maybe $10. read more

Don Pollo - Pollo (?) Saltado - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

This is another chain-restaurant review, so I will keep it brief. This location is as good as any other Don Pollo location in regards to food quality. The breast was a little dry, but it is a chicken breast, that can happen. Mi Peru wins the award for moistest breasts... ha. The ambiance is 5 star, better than any other charcoal chicken joint in the area. I also prefer the way DP seasons their birds over most other local options. They are a little skimpy on the sauces, but this is common practice. The service is always friendly and quick. I'll be back. read more

Don Pollo is now my favorite Peruvian place! They are always delicious and offer generous portions. Today I did a take out order of Lomo Saltado and a few other things and was disappointed when I got home that it had chicken instead of beef. This has never happened with them. They are always perfect. I don't live too close and didn't want to drive back there. I decided to call them up to let them know. I was not expecting much - maybe a refund for the difference. The person put me on hold and I decided to hang up because I thought it was silly to complaint for a $2 difference. About 15 minutes later, the Manager called me, apologized profusely and told me they would comp my next Lomo Saltado. Very happy with the resolution and look forward to my next take out visit. read more

Extremely rude customer service. I tried to order on the phone and I simply asked the person to repeat something they asked me because I didn't understand properly the first time and they got frustrated and hung up the phone on me and I called them back and apologized and was trying to tell them my order again and got hung up on mid sentence again. 3rd time i called, I asked to speak to someone else because this person was being so rude and he hung up on me again. read more

I had high expectations for this place, but i left the place disappointed. I came around 8:30 to grab dinner. The setting of the restaurant was very different to other peruvian chicken places I have visited in the past. When I went to order, i really didnt feel the "welcoming" feeling. I understand its 8:30 and you are about to close, but little professionalisms isn't too much to ask. I ordered the half of white chicken, green beans and yuca. The yuca was straight up dry and looked like leftovers. The green beans just tasted soggy didn't taste good at all. The chicken was alright, but my overall experience was not that great. read more

Don Pollo - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Don P!!! Of all the Peruvian chicken spots that have seemingly popped up over the past decade, this is my fav! The dining space is clean and spacious, with indoor options ranging from seating with chairs and booths, as well as a spacious outdoor porch dining area. The line moves quickly and there are usually two people taking orders at any given time. You are given a number and then sit wherever you like, staff brings out the food as soon as it's prepared and I've personally never waited long. I always go with the half chicken with white rice and some of the best green beans out there. HIGHLY recommend asking for extra yellow and green sauce. Don P absolutely earns their 5 stars with every visit! read more

Don Pollo - 1/2 White, white rice, green beans - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

This is the best value and quality restaurant in the entire area and worth a trip to this branch and other branches in the Maryland area -- regardless of the value. For just about $9 you get delicious chicken ,two sides and very fast, gracious service. Order at the counter without a lot of needless delays due to confusing menus or poor staffing at the counter and then the food is delivered directly to your table. Compares very favorably not only with downscale Peruvian chicken eateries but also with Cava, Panera and less cost and hassle than Nando's Peri-Peri with the food as good or generally better than any of those other chains.Highly recommended. read more

Yummy to my tummy Peruvian chicken! I've passed this place so many times refusing to check it out bc it's located in a strip mall. I'm glad I decided to check it out. The food is fairly priced for what you receive. The 1/4 dark was flavorful and moist with a delicious crispy layer of skin. I opted for healthier sides (green beans and cucumber salad) but could tell the starchy items would have been amazing as well. I will definitely return bc service was friendly and fast and the food was authentic and good. read more

Don Pollo - Side order of plantains-yummy! - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I love this place - Peruvian chicken with green beans and black beans with rice is my go to dish - for under $9 this is a good value - plenty of seating and courteous staff make this a no brainer read more

Don Pollo - The restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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There are many places around this area for Peruvian chicken but DP has become my favorite and go to spot. It is conveniently located close to my job and their chicken is very flavorful and fresh as are their side dishes. If you have room for dessert, you must order the Tres Leches cake. It is moist and not overwhelmingly sweet. They'll add more condensed milk if you ask them. The restuarent is very nice and clean. As you enter, you're instructed by a sign to grab a beverage if you plan on purchasing one then line up to order your food. If you are dining in, you will receive a number and the food will be delivered to your table when ready. If you are doing carry out, there are a few tables by the pick up counter for you to sit while you wait. Service is great! The downside here is that they only give you a couple of sauces per order and you have to pay $0.35 per extra sauce. Other than that, I have no complaints. Consistently good experience here. read more

Don Pollo - 1/4 white with yucca and house salad and 1/2 dark with plantains and mashed potatoes - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I had a great first time experience here, ordering 1/4 white meat chicken with mac and cheese and french fries. It was so good with better than average sides (you can pick two with meal) and comes with spicy and medium sauces. Man, it was good. But today at lunch, I decided to order 1/4 dark chicken. It was ordered for me before I got there and when I sat down, man, it must have been the saddest, tiniest chicken I have ever seen. The sides were fine like before, but really? I was just staring at the meal with pure and utter disappointment. At least my friends chickens looked good, just not mine. Going to try this place one more time before seeking another chicken place to try up the road on 355, which also has good reviews on Yelp. Really want to give this place 4-5 stars, perhaps in my next visit here! read more

They shorted me on my meal. Take ordered a 1/2 dark and 2 sides and one of the half chickens was missing a whole drumstick. For me it's the principle of the matter. If I order something and pay I should receive it as advertised. If I didn't have to work I would definitely drive up there and demand my money back. read more

First time I went I was greeted quickly, placed my order and was told no subs for sauces. I don't need the "peach colored" sauce they have here, ( it's yellow in most places). Only the hot green sauce. They would not sub a sauce but told me I could purchase extra green. What sense does this make considering another person may want the mild and no hot? Shouldn't it all work out in the end $? Here's what I've tried : Quarter white double fries. Chicken was dry but well seasoned. Fries were hot. chaufa: found some bits of mysterious meat with bones and the peas and carrots were still crunchy. Way too many sprouts. Lomo twice- having been married to a Peruvian for 14 years and trying to please his taste buds, I know my Lomo. I was not impressed the first time but wanted to double check. The meat is big chunks of cheap stew meat. The fries are not mixed in. The first try had the right mixture of tomato, peppers and onion and the right doneness but the meat was fatty. The second try had big giant chunks of almost raw green pepper, wilted barely there onion and the tomatoes were stewy and mush. It was more like a green pepper stir fry with a bit of chunky meat. The worst thing about last nights Lomo was that the rice was hard. I mean so hard it was crunchy. So crunchy I believe I saved it from the rice cake factory. The other thing is I called my order in 20 minutes before I arrived but it was not ready. I watched as people stood in line, placed orders and paid and got their food. What's the point of calling in an order if I have to wait another 20 when I get there. Ok will I go back ? Probably because it's closer than Sardis and better than KFC. Do I love the food here? Not yet but since they are newly opened I'm hoping for consistency and geez Louise lay off the sauce surcharge! read more

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A fan of Don Pollo in Bethesda and the restaurant group's Executive Pastry Chef Eva Stafford, my dining companion and I decided to try their newest location in Shady Grove. Relatively cavernous and more of a family-friendly sit-down place than the takeout-oriented Bethesda Don Pollo, the Gaithersburg location is attractive with its vast sunny space, wood tables, stainless steel kitchen, and open fridges filled with Chef Eva's yummy desserts. Our first visit was to try several of the many dessert offerings: Alfajores, Tres Leches, and Bread Pudding. After one bite of the Alfajores, we were hooked! The tender, crumbly cookies sandwich a delightful dulce de leche that was not only pleasantly sweet (whereas most caramels can be piercingly so) but also intrigues with a touch of fruity tartness. The Tres Leches was very sweet, but with some fancy raspberries from our freezer, they were moist milky cake goodness good with a spot of mint tea. The next day, we went back to enjoy the chicken with yuca and beer. While perusing the four beers on tap, my DC's eyes were locked on to the pretty yellow slushy drink served in mason jars: Frozen Lemon Margaritas! Served with a rim of salt snowflakes, it was a refreshing and tart boozy pairing for with their awesomely-rendered chicken. The yuca fries were great as well, served in a mini-metal bucket for a fancy touch. For our order (whole chicken with two sides--double order of yuca), we were given EIGHT sauces (all salsa verde as requested). At first, it seemed like a lot, but we went through all 8 since they provided a spicy and cleansing note while chomping away at the bird and fries. A bit buzzed after the Margarita, we decided to try some more of their large dessert selections. We ordered a Bread Pudding and Lucuma Ice Cream--the latter being a papaya-shaped fruit native to Peru and Chile. Both felt relatively virtuous for desserts: delicately sweet (just as we like them), moist, and light on the palate free of excessive richness. The lucuma was an eye-catching bright orange with a flavor characteristic of papaya but with the added fragrance of maple. As much as we like Don Pollo in Bethesda for a quick takeout, this new Gaithersburg branch offers much more for a sit-down meal, such as a wide variety of drinks (alcoholic as well as fruit-based), desserts, and entrees (our neighbors were diving into the Lomo Saltado and Arroz con Pollo). While much farther from home, this Don Pollo is worth the trip up I-270 for a sunny meal with equally cheery flavors! read more

One of my FAVORITE Peruvian chicken spots. I've been to some of their other locations, but when I found out they were opening right in my neighborhood, I literally counted down the days and went in on opening day! Good size location with plenty of seating. You order, get a number and seat yourself. Fast and casual. Chicken is always ON POINT. The chicken has great flavor and is always cooked to perfection. For sides, I love their rice, yucca, steamed vegetables, house salad, cucumber salad, corn pico and fried green beans. The house salad has a simple and light dressing that I really love. And their yucca is always hot, crispy and fresh. The mac & cheese is much better at the Bethesda location though, so don't suggest it here. I love the orange and green hot sauces. Both are really good, but keep in mind they do charge you for extra sauce. The service is always pretty good and prompt. Even when they're busy. Prices are reasonable! They have a private parking lot, but it gets packed during the lunch rush! read more

Pros: Very convenient location, ample parking. The inside is clean, and spacious, and they have an outdoor seating area. They have paper towel rolls on each table, which is great if you get as messy as I do whilst eating Peruvian chicken. My order came out quickly. Cons: Unfortunately, the chicken did not meet my expectations. I ordered 1/4 white meat. It was extra dry. I expect white meat to be a little dry, but this was overly dry. The sides were good though. I ordered white rice and black beans, plantains, and a side salad. Plantains were perfectly fried. The house dressing is odd though.Almost like a thick vinaigrette. The dipping sauces were...meh. They have an orange sauce, and a green sauce. The orange sauce reminded me of the Chik-fil-a sauce and the green sauce was not spicy at all. If it wasn't for the ambiance, they would have 2 stars solely for the food. read more

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I've always had subpar experiences when it came to Don Pollo & I always try to give them the benefit of the doubt but still just lets me down. Came in today & wasn't greeted very well, wasn't so busy but didn't bother me, I've had the chicken here & I'm not a much of a fan but today it was the only place around I could go to eat. Decided to try the Lomo Saltado here & for $17 plus a can coke totaling all together $20.45, I felt slighted as soon as I got my food. First impressions it looked great however when it came to finally taste it it wasn't what I was expecting, maybe I was expecting too much? but I continued. I was only given around 8-9 little pieces of cut steak which was slightly a bit chewy, the flavor wasn't as bold either. There was definitely a overkill on onions, peppers, & veggies. It was served with some white rice which let me be honest wasn't as great as it should've been for plain white rice. Paying $17 for a lomo saltado for the quantity I was given wasn't worth it. Taste wasn't worth it as well, I've had Lomo Saltado from different places who have actually done way better. You could say I set myself up expecting some good steak from a place known for mostly its chicken but there should at least be some balance between the foods, as I said before the chicken here isn't all that as well. I'm giving them a 3 star because of the short wait time & the soda. Place I spacious & clean as well but the food is where they fall short. Would I recommend this place? sure if you're hungry enough to eat some semi decent chicken. Would I recommend the steak? No I would not. Save your money & buy yourself something better worth $17. read more

Absolutely love this place since the 1st time we went here. Food is fantastic (literally everything we tried here so far) and the service is beyond friendly!!! Restaurant and outdoor area have been super clean before COVID and they have great safety guidelines in place. read more

Don Pollo - This my fave (the chicken rice bowl) - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I had high hope for this place, but the majority of the chicken was unable to be eaten. It's literally too dry to bite through. How do you serve chicken like this?! I will be back to give it another try, as I thought I would fall in love with this place after my first visit. This second visit however, was rather discouraging. The bright side was the yuca, which was fried pretty well. But for the $20 spent on the meal, I am very disappointed. read more

Don Pollo - Pretty much the whole outside of the chicken wasn't edible because it was too dry. - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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I ordered the 1/4 chicken with two sides.... I thought it was supposed to be rotisserie chicken... this is clearly FRIED chicken. The fried rice was BLAND. the beans were BLAND (they obviously wanted to get rid of the beans but not the rice.), the rice was bland lol they literally gave me a couple more baby spoonfuls than what you see in the picture (pitiful).... the sauce was not good either. I spoke to the manager and she offered me 10% off my next meal.... if I don't like it, why would I come back? She said if I came back she would give me a refund after asking for my order number... I offered to send her a picture... I could have even facetimed, but I went there on my lunch break and could not just up and return... it's okay. If that's the best you could do to make the situation better, fine. Whatever. You won't get my money again. read more